One Year War GB 2011-2012 !Extended time! 30sept 2012

I played a few of the battletech games in my life, one or two.  The designs were intersting.  I know there are some resin, I think, battletech kits out there.  Also, alot of them dont seem hard to scratch build.

There were indeed a few resin offerings...all long OOP, and RIDICULOUSLY expensive! If you can find them at all anymore on Ebay, you end up trading an arm and/or leg for them.

Battletech Kits

dupes

There were indeed a few resin offerings...all long OOP, and RIDICULOUSLY expensive! If you can find them at all anymore on Ebay, you end up trading an arm and/or leg for them.

Battletech Kits

Christ... that is very VERY expensive...

And that's what the retail price was. Try twice that now (IF you can find them!).

smeagol the vile

 

dupes:

 

There were indeed a few resin offerings...all long OOP, and RIDICULOUSLY expensive! If you can find them at all anymore on Ebay, you end up trading an arm and/or leg for them.

Battletech Kits

 

 

 

Christ... that is very VERY expensive...

LOL!!!

i remember to see somewhere a mad cat in a really good finish, like it.

thr red one remind me the first guncannon sketch from 1978 probably

a link to the oldest gundam sketches in an italian site, gundam universe .. this is mech prehistory

Imagine how the series would have looked if the first gundam looked like this

probably we not here for this gb 

Haaaaahhahaa...too true!

2 movies down - think I'll get to #3 this afternoon, especially if it starts raining (again).

So what do you think of them so far?

I like them! I can tell in a few places where they're compressing events that would have spanned several episodes. Can't wait to get into some of the newer stuff!

I DO wish that I had an english overdub option - would make it much easier to build and watch at the same time...I look down to glue a part, and I've missed half a conversation. Heh.

And looking at Gundam Store and More, starting (finally!) to recognize stuff other than the Gundam and Zaku. Heh.

Speaking of GSaM, do they regularly restock stuff? I'm just asking because I was looking at their "08th MS Team" kit section, and everything is gone. Was that line discontinued, or am I just waiting for them to come back in?

I do believe they are out of production.  They are fairly old.

you would be better with getting the HGUC versions of those kits.  I know there arent any for the Flight Type Zaku or the GMs, but there is a MG version of both of the GMs

sounds good dupes , after you finish the race to see the oav i can advice you to find the singular episodes of 0079 and watch by take your time, lots of situation are probably out of the 3 movies , for space reasons.

dupes

Speaking of GSaM, do they regularly restock stuff? I'm just asking because I was looking at their "08th MS Team" kit section, and everything is gone. Was that line discontinued, or am I just waiting for them to come back in?

08th ms team line are probably referred to the old original kits at standard hg grade, actually for lots of them are out the new version on hguc line, on the mg line too, just watch for the mobile suit you want and search the name between hguc and mg line

smeagol the vile

I do believe they are out of production.  They are fairly old.

you would be better with getting the HGUC versions of those kits.  I know there arent any for the Flight Type Zaku or the GMs, but there is a MG version of both of the GMs

like this ... some piece probably can found in italy shops but the original kit was really poor of details

i see on bakuc someone did an MG conversion using the MG gouf custom.

Actually only the rx-79g and the gouf custom are in the hguc line from the 8 th team ... (naturally the overtruck 1/144 and 1/35)

the 0080 war in the pocket, instead, are better covered in the hguc line : Z'gok E, Hy-gogg, zaku fz, nt gundam, the GM , gun cannon mass production ,the kaempfer and probaly forgot some.

Real G

One last thing.  Here is my first Zaku, built circa 1983.  It's the 1/100 scale Char's Zaku, purchased for around four bucks!

Nice Zaku!  I built one of those a couple years ago...

Testusjin ,

Nice!  Is it the Real Type Zaku?  Did you see the series of articles in Model Graphix where they took the old series kits and poly-capped the joints and gave them modern makeovers?  It was pretty cool to see that these outdated kits can be still made to look cool!  I still have some of the old MSV kits like the Prototype Dom and Desert Zaku, so I might give them the "Monaka Kit" treatment.  I had thought about fixing up my old Zaku as well, but I decided to leave well enough alone.

Will you be joining the group build as well?  The more the merrier, as they say!

BTW for those not in the know, "Monaka  Kit" = The old pre-MG kits that lacked interior frame details.  According to Model Graphix, the avantage of this type of kit is that since they are completely hollow, modificaitons are much simpler to perform than with the more modern stuff.  I had to look up "Monaka" - It appears to reference an old style Japanese confection that consisted of a holow split wafer-like shell and red bean paste.  The consumer would manually put the bean paste into the shell, close it up and eat it.  You had to be there in the 1970s to remember that one.

It's not the Real Type kit, but of course that was an inspiration for the build.  I wanted something that looked like a cartoon robot that had been taken way too seriously.  :)  But I also wanted to build a kind of homage to all those 1980s builds where they were just working with the original series kits and trying to come up with cool builds from them.

I've seen some of the Model Graphix builds but not a whole lot. But I got the reissued versions of "How to Build Gundam" and it's great stuff.  It's been kind of an inspiration lately. They could do all that with those lame old kits, so I should be able to do something just as cool with a High Grade, right?  (I think sometimes I look at HG and just get depressed. But I should be able to fix things that are wrong...  and so I'm building a HGUC Zaku to test that theory.)

I'll probably join the group build but I don't know what with just yet. I'm trying to get things done for Otakon. I'm thinking maybe of building one of these - although I tend to prefer bulkier Zakus for the most part, the first Zaku kit has a unique look to its legs that I really enjoy...

Tesujin,

I think it is super cool when someone takes an old kit, and through clever thought and careful modifications, transforms it to something worthy of a modern build.  I am familiar with HJ's "How to Build Gundam", and you are so right in being amazed at what they did with what they had.  For people who have only known MG and HGUC, the original kits must look like boxes of sticks and rocks.  With dead bugs!

I think the HG kits were great for their time, my only thing was that a lot of the joints had exposed poly caps, which made painting a pain.  But I felt their proportions were pretty good, and a definite improvement over the original kits.  The arrival of the HGUC series does kind of kill it for the HG stuff, but like you say, it is satisfying to massage an older kit up to snuff.

Here is (another) one of my old projects that attempted to do just that.  I took the original 1/144 Gouf (a really bad caricature of the cool anti-hero MS), and modified it to look more modern, with some original details thrown in.  My model had an unfortunate accident before being completed, the results of which you can see here.  I was so crushed that I put the parts away and never looked at it until this past week.

Here are some details:

Maybe I will try to fix it, but I will have to resign myself to repaint the whole thing.  I so hate painting.

No need to repaint the whole thing - just make the repairs, spot-prime the affected areas, match your colors and spot-paint...

I think for me painting is a stressful phase of the project 'cause that's where things really have to start to be "perfect" - under those circumstances, small mistakes and damage can be really daunting.  But damaged work can be repaired, and repairs can be made to blend in with the rest of the work...

Incidentally, when I said HG drives me mad, I actually was talking about current High Grades - mostly the HGUC line. I just really can't stand some of the design decisions Bandai makes with the Gundam line.

The last series of HGs I liked was the Seed TV 1/100 series. In my opinion, their original 5 gundam's proportion were better than MGs and very true to anime.

I'm all over the new OO gundams though, design a frame/armour AROUND articulation to me is a no-go zone. Designs too generic with the exposed hip joints and random pieces of armour/backpack bit's and pieces - like fast food set menus. You want a burger (backpack) with fries (a big gun) and a coke (an MA)? Where's the line/harmony?

Turn A is an example of a different, but good design with beautiful curves/lines throughout.

Those old kits has a brutish look to them, which is great!

I can not stand seed, or 00.  There horrible and show no comparison to the source material, except for in seed where they flat out steal scenes, almost frame by frame, just changing names and mech designs.  On that note, I cant stand G either.

bsyamato

 

Wow. That's HOT!

I don't know enough about the available kits yet (obviously) - so what scale/grade/line is this one?

Real G

 

 

Bummer! I really like what you did with the shading and weathering here...think you can salvage it?

this is the 8th ms team HG line, the outproduction line, the original kit is overall good but not comparable to hguc line, i made lots of mods on it, sctratched opened cockpit, under feet replaced with full nozzles added, monoeye, one of rear engine scratched and opened  ,chest tubes replaced and others improvements. Probably bandai will replace (i hope soon) with a new kit, but none in MG scale

some other picture of the flyng gouf (you will see it in the 8th ms team OAV for very little time)

nozzles are carabine lead bullets and the main are stealed from z'gock E backpack

Also was the third or four gunpla i completed  

i found a site that have all 8th line (only they have not the ball kit)  but is in italy... the flying gouf kit cost 17 €

.. but are in italy

tetsujin

It's not the Real Type kit, but of course that was an inspiration for the build.  I wanted something that looked like a cartoon robot that had been taken way too seriously.  :)  But I also wanted to build a kind of homage to all those 1980s builds where they were just working with the original series kits and trying to come up with cool builds from them.

I've seen some of the Model Graphix builds but not a whole lot. But I got the reissued versions of "How to Build Gundam" and it's great stuff.  It's been kind of an inspiration lately. They could do all that with those lame old kits, so I should be able to do something just as cool with a High Grade, right?  (I think sometimes I look at HG and just get depressed. But I should be able to fix things that are wrong...  and so I'm building a HGUC Zaku to test that theory.)

I'll probably join the group build but I don't know what with just yet. I'm trying to get things done for Otakon. I'm thinking maybe of building one of these - although I tend to prefer bulkier Zakus for the most part, the first Zaku kit has a unique look to its legs that I really enjoy...

I see it on your blog, good finish for a very old kit really like if you want to join the GB.

I remind someone was start a scratchbuild of an FZ in 1/100 , was you or i'm wrong?

Real G another great treasure out your old gouf, i hope you will fix it the colour is very real look!

Yeah, I was doing the FZ scratch build.  None of the Bandai kits can truly satisfy me.  :)  I'm hoping to get back to that project after I finish the HGUC Zaku.

Dupes, that kit is the 'Gouf 'flight type'  Its a gouf variation using Dom legs inorder to give the unit fight.  It could be easily remade using two kits, the new HGUC Gouf that is out, any of the HGUC Dom kits, as well as alot putty and a bit of styrene.  It would take alot of modifications but it could be done easily.

Dupes,

I've got good news for you!  No need to modfiy anything - check your conversation inbox.

The new HGUC Gouf Custom that Smeagol mentioned is pretty good.  One improvement over the old kit is that the hips finally have an independent swivel joint, which supplements the poly cap ball joint.  Personally this is one feature I would like to see in all future Gundam kits, as I don't think the standard ball and cup joints are durable enough for high stress points, like at the hips, ankles, and waists.

I also noticed that they are trying to improve their hand details, although they still have a ways to go with that one.  The one area that urgently needs addressing is their depiction of armored power cables like in the Zaku types.  I don't like the "slanted" segments that result from limitations in the injection molding process.  I would think that Bandai would work to engineer and orient the parts such that the slanted segments could be avoided.  Another thing is that the HGUC kits are starting to look a little fat, especially the arms.  Maybe it's a durability decision, I don't know.

Lots of traffic going on in the GB thread today.  A good sign!

If I didn't respond to a comment, my apologies - gotta get some work done today!

Real G

The one area that urgently needs addressing is their depiction of armored power cables like in the Zaku types.  I don't like the "slanted" segments that result from limitations in the injection molding process.  I would think that Bandai would work to engineer and orient the parts such that the slanted segments could be avoided.

For a minute I thought you were talking about cables made of beads and springs (like on the MG and RG lines) - but you're talking HGUC...  Probably the only thing they could do (short of molding individual beads like on the MG and RG lines) would be to break up the cable into multiple, shorter pieces, molded separately - kind of like what they did on the Mega Size Zaku.

Just do what I do - replace all the cables.  :)  Kotobukiya Mobile Pipe is pretty cheap, and cutting your own segments from styrene or metal tubing is another option...

Another thing is that the HGUC kits are starting to look a little fat, especially the arms.  Maybe it's a durability decision, I don't know.

The HGUC line has always had chunky arms.  HGUC Gundam (HGUC #21, I think?  Or #20?) had big Popeye-arms. I think it's a result of the polycaps they used for the wrist and elbow joint, they take up a fair bit of space. (In the 1990s HGs and non-grades, before the HGUC line, they mostly used polycap hands, which meant they didn't need a polycap in the forearm for the wrist...) But they've been getting better about this, and newer HGUCs have a whole new polycap sheet with smaller joints for the elbows and wrists...